Gumdrop Cookies

Time to bake again today, and I went to the potential 'Christmas 2011' list for ideas. I picked these cause they were one of the least time-consuming, and they turned out to be a yummy & quick treat. I got the recipe from this:

This book is from 2008, and it has been my go-to cookie book for almost 3 years. I got the 2010 edition last year, and it too is filled with epic win. I've used it so much, that the first 30 pages fell out of the book. If that doesn't say 'I get used', nothing does.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup shortening (or butter if you have none)

1 cup sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped fruit flavored/spiced gumdrops

2 egg whites

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat in extract.Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the gumdrops

2) In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into dough.

3) Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

( I <3 how colorful the dough is)

(ready for the oven!)

So this dough was a little weird. First off, before you add the egg whites, it's going to be a really crumbly dough. It will form after you fold in the eggs. Second, be sure you know how to get soft & stiff peaks. I'm pretty sure I did not do that right. (I will be checking with Alton Brown to make sure). Still, they came out pretty tasty; they have a nice crunch on the outside but they're soft with a fruity surprise on the inside. Now if you don't mind, this cookie and I have a date with milk & Conan.